Why?

I don’t know.

Why not?

Perhaps reality was still 11 minutes away (11 minutes marking the time fighters were scrambled against flight 77, to the flight’s impact on the Pentagon).

7:59 a.m.: AA flight 11 departs Boston

8:14 a.m.: UA flight 175 departs Boston

8:20 a.m.: AA flight 175 is hijacked

8:20 a.m.: AA 77 departs Dulles

8:38 a.m.: The FAA reports to NORAD that flight 11 has been hijacked

8:42 a.m.: After 40 minute delay, UA flight 93 departs Newark International Airport

8:43 a.m.: FAA reports to NORAD that flight 175 has been hijacked

8:44 a.m.: Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts orders fighters to be scrambled

8:46 a.m.: AA flight 11 strikes the WTC

8:47 a.m.: NORAD is notified that a plane has struck the World Trade Center

8:50 a.m.: UA flight 175 deviates from assigned flight path

8:52 a.m.: Two F-15s are now airborne from Otis ANG Base on intercept mission against flight 175

8:55 a.m.: Transponder signal for AA flight 77 lost

9:02 a.m.: UA flight 175 strikes the World Trade Center's south tower (fighters are still 70 miles away)

9:16 a.m.: FAA notifies NORAD that flight 93 may have been hijacked

9:24 a.m.: NORAD directs fighters to be scrambled from Langley Air Force Base, VA, to intercept flight 93

9:25 a.m.: FAA reports to NORAD that AA flight 77 may have been hijacked

9:30 a.m.: Three F-16s are airborne from Langley

Then the pilots received the most surreal order of the awful morning. "A person came on the radio," General Haugen said, "and identified themselves as being with the Secret Service and he said, `I want you to protect the White House at all costs.' " At this point, the intercept target becomes AA flight 77.

9:35 a.m.: Flight 93 files new flight plan, reversing course to return toward Washington D.C., presumably targeting the White House

9:37 a.m.: AA flight 77 drops below radar

9:38 a.m.: Flight 77 strikes the Pentagon

9:40 a.m.: Transponder signal from UA flight 93 ceases and radar contact is lost

9:49 a.m.: F-16 fighters arrive over Washington, D.C. (covering the 130 miles in approx. 14 minutes.)

9:58 a.m. All cell phone calls from flight 93 end at approx. this time

10:02 a.m.: A review of radar tapes shows a radar signal detected near Shanksville, Pennsylvania

10:04 a.m. Johnstown-Cambria County Airport reports the plane is 15 miles south

10:06 a.m. Flight 93 Crashes near Shanksville

None of this helps, but hindsight would have had F-15s/F-16s scrambled against UA flight 175, the second to strike the World Trade Center.

At the time of the impact against the Pentagon, the primary threat was indicated to be against Capital Hill. A hit on the Pentagon was of secondary concern.

Dan